encounter with dog training took place at the age of 11, when she took first place in a group class with Sidney, her Doberman. After graduating high school she worked in the television commercial business for several years. Returning to school, she enrolled in Pierce College's Animal Health Technology program and landed a job as an assistant at a local veterinary practice.
Relocating to Austin, Texas in the mid-'90s, she continued her academic studies and began working at PetSmart as a veterinary technician. While there, she was asked by the store manager if she would be interested in becoming an in-house dog trainer. The idea of addressing behavior appealed much more to her than examining feces, and she immediately agreed. She devoured almost every book on dog training and behavior on the store shelves and in 1996, after many requests from students, she launched Good Dogma.
Aside from dog training, Lisa is also a credentialed teacher. She has done volunteer work with Horseback Riding for the Handicapped and the Gibbon Research Center in Valencia, California. She was one of the original trainers and a founding member of the Heeling Touch Dog Training program in San Luis Obispo. This program brought shelter dogs to the inmates of Juvenile Services, introducing them to the care and training of the animals. Currently, Lisa mentors students from the Animal Behavior College in Northridge, California, who are studying to become dog trainers.
Lisa makes her home in the charming town of Los Osos, California with her musician husband and their three four-legged children, Jake, Remo, and Chagall.